The Worst Burger On Culver's Menu Is A Picky Eater's Dream

How could anything called a ButterBurger be bad? Culver's has a special way with its signature burgers. It all starts with a blend of three different prized cuts of beef, including sirloin, chuck, and plate. The fast-food chain uses fresh, never-frozen beef and cooks its patties to order using a smash style that results in craveable crispy edges. Then, the pièce de résistance is a buttered and lightly toasted Kaiser-style bun. But, even out of a group of primo burgers, there has to be a weakest link. And according to a bun-to-bun ButterBurger taste test by Tasting Table's Julia Duda, that under-performer is the standard Butterburger.

Duda tried a single version of the sandwich (both double and triple options are also available). It doesn't naturally come with toppings added on, but she threw on the works, complete with pickles, ketchup, mustard, and raw onion. Even with this garnish medley, she found faults in the burger's build. Faults that would drive away fans of extravagant, piled-high handhelds, but might just intrigue picky eaters, people with smaller appetites, or those with a taste for simplicity.

Duda refers to the ButterBurger as a "Plain Jane burger" and explains that the largest problem she had with it is that it doesn't contain any elements that stand out. With no cheese (that's right, it's just an ordinary hamburger, NOT a cheeseburger), minimal toppings, and a dry patty, it was forgettable and earned itself a last-place spot among seven other ButterBurger renditions.

Others feel the same way about Culver's most straightforward ButterBurger creation. In additional online taste tests, it's consistently beaten out by other competing ButterBurgers. And after trying a single ButterBurger with the works for the first time, YouTube creator Old Nerd Reviews & Gaming even noted the experience "kinda sucked". He reiterates that there weren't enough toppings and that the meat was thin and dry. He also notes that he expected something a bit more juicy and flavorful for the "premium" price. 

Still, one man's low-tier burger is another's comfort-food dream. For some, the simplicity of Culver's original ButterBurger might be exactly what they're looking for–a no-frills classic that allows the meat and buttery bun to shine.

On the flip side, our ButterBurger taste test crowned the Deluxe ButterBurger as the top pick. It's piled high with real Wisconsin cheese, crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, pickles, sweet red onion, and the chain's signature mayo.